Embodiments of the invention relate to a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk, and methods of making a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to such cartridge assemblies having a housing and a movable shutter for uncovering an opening in the housing to expose at least a portion of the data storage disk.
Removable storage media have become universally accepted for storing data. Desktop, laptop and handheld computing devices, digital cameras, digital music players, and other electronic devices commonly use such media to read, store and/or transfer data. Advances in technology are greatly reducing the size of such media while at the same time increasing their storage capacity.
One known type of digital storage media holds up to 500 MB of data, with higher capacities contemplated, but is merely the size of a small coin. Universal media format promulgated by DataPlay, Inc. of Boulder, Colo. is designed to play and record multiple types of content on a single disk: music, images, books, games, computer files, and cellular phone numbers, to name a few examples. Such media enables access to all forms of digital content across all digital devices and platforms, including music, images, documents, software, games, video, and more. One 500 MB digital media can hold more than 11 hours of music downloads or five complete pre-recorded albums of CD-quality music, hundreds of high-resolution photographs, or dozens of games, for example. Any properly-enabled computer or other device can read and play back such content.
FIG. 1 is an inside plan view of conventional data cartridge housing member 10. Housing member 10 supports shutter 20 (shown in dashed lines because it is on the outside of housing member 10) for side-to-side movement. Shutter 20 alternately covers and uncovers opening 30 in housing member 10 for exposure of an optical disk (not shown) to the head of an optical drive (not shown). Spring 40 slides in spring guide slot 50 to accommodate opening movement of shutter 20 and to urge shutter 20 toward a closed position upon removal of the data cartridge from the drive. Locking arm 60 includes spring member 70, a locking nub to be aligned with a corresponding slot in shutter 20, concave cam surface 80 to aid shutter 20 in sliding over the locking nub, and stop edges 90, 95. Two housing members 10 and associated components must be assembled together with an optical disk to create an operational disk cartridge. Although providing certain advantages, this known data storage disk cartridge also provides a number of operational and manufacturing complexities.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of conventional data cartridge assembly 100. Cartridge assembly 100 includes housing members 110, 120 for enclosing optical disk 130. Cartridge assembly 100 also includes a unitary, metal cover 135 that also encloses optical disk 130 within housing members 110, 120. Internal shutter 140 includes two arms 150, 160 that are sprung outwardly and that include respective outwardly facing dimples 165, 170. Dimples 165, 170 contact an adjacent interior wall of cover 135. As internal shutter 140 moves laterally inside cartridge assembly 100, dimples 165, 170 contact and slide against the interior walls of cover 135. Elastic locking member 180 is secured by housing member 110. Locking member 180 is biased outwardly to cause locking projection 190 to engage rotary arm opening 200 in shutter 140 when shutter 140 is in a closed position. When cartridge assembly 100 is placed within an optical drive (not shown), shutter arm opening 200 is engaged by a rotary arm (not shown) to push locking projection 190 inwardly to release shutter 140 for lateral movement. When shutter 140 is in an open position, the optical head can access both sides of optical disk 130 through windows 210, 220 in cover 135. When cartridge assembly 100 is removed from the optical drive, the rotary arm of the drive returns shutter 140 to its closed position. Locking projection 190 returns into opening 200 to lock shutter 140 in a closed position.
Attention is directed to, e.g., World Intellectual Property Organization International Publication Nos. WO 01/80243 A2, published Oct. 25, 2001, WO 01/80244 A2, published Oct. 25, 2001, and WO 00/2312 A2, published Nov. 30, 2000, for example, for additional detail.
Although providing certain advantages, data cartridge assembly 100 creates very small internal clearances for optical disk 130. Shutter 140 is compressed within cover 135, which itself is disposed within housing members 110, 120. Contact with shutter 140, e.g., through windows 210, 220 when shutter 140 is in a closed position, can easily cause contact with optical disk 130 and result in potential damage. During use, frictional contact between dimples 165, 170 and cover 135 creates internal debris generation issues, as does the assembly process of inserting shutter 140 within cover 135. The overall shell structure of data cartridge assembly 100 also provides a number of operational and manufacturing complexities.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk, the cartridge assembly including a housing for containing the data storage disk. The housing defines a plurality of openings for exposing a portion of the data storage disk. The cartridge assembly further includes an external shutter supported by the housing outside the housing, the shutter being movable between a closed position for covering the openings defined by the housing, a first open position for uncovering the openings defined by the housing to expose the data storage disk, and a second open position for uncovering the openings defined by the housing to expose the data storage disk. The first open position and the second open position are disposed on opposite sides of the closed position. The housing includes a protrusion, according to an aspect of the invention, the protrusion being adapted to engage the external shutter and hold the external shutter in the closed position. The protrusion is further adapted to hold the external shutter in one of the first and second open positions. The housing defines a central aperture and defines a groove, according to one aspect, the groove being disposed on a side of the central aperture opposite the protrusion. The shutter includes a tab at least partially exposed to the outside of the assembly, the tab being disposed for movement within the groove. The protrusion is one of a plurality of protrusions disposed on opposite sides of the external shutter when the external shutter is in the closed position, the plurality of protrusions being adapted to contact opposite edges of the external shutter. The assembly is constructed such that the shutter is unbiased toward the closed position, according to one aspect, when the shutter is in either the first open position or the second open position. The shutter is self-biased inwardly into contact with the housing. According to another aspect, the housing defines a groove and the shutter includes a tab at least partially exposed to the outside of the assembly, the tab being disposed for movement within the groove. A keeper is disposed over the groove and over the tab for holding the tab within the groove. The keeper is generally centered on the housing.
According to another aspect of the invention, a cartridge assembly for a data storage disk includes a casing for holding the data storage disk, the casing defining a plurality of openings for exposing the data storage disk. The cartridge assembly also includes a movable member disposed to slide on a side of the casing opposite the data storage disk to cover and uncover the openings. At least one of the casing and the moveable member includes means for holding the moveable member, the means for holding being adapted to contact an edge of the moveable member to hold the moveable member in place over the openings. The means for holding is further adapted to contact an edge of the moveable member to hold the moveable member in place away from the openings free of external force acting on the assembly. The casing defines a first generally flat surface and the moveable member defines a second generally flat surface, according to one aspect of the invention, the first and second generally flat surfaces being disposed to face each other. The means for holding includes a protrusion extending from one of the first and second generally flat surfaces into contact with the other of the first and second generally flat surfaces as the moveable member slides on the casing. The protrusion extends past the other of the first and second generally flat surfaces when the means for holding holds the moveable member in place over the openings and when the means for holding holds the moveable member in place away from the openings. The means for holding includes two generally identical protrusions, according to an aspect of the invention, and/or exactly eight generally identical protrusions. The moveable member is adapted to slide over and contact the means for holding when the moveable member slides to cover and uncover the openings.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of making a ready-to-use data storage disk cartridge assembly includes providing a housing, the housing defining a central aperture and two grooves adjacent to the central aperture, the two grooves being disposed on opposite sides of the housing, disposing a data storage disk within the housing, disposing a one-piece shutter over the housing, the shutter including two arms extending on opposite sides of the housing, each arm having a tab disposed on an end thereof, inserting the two tabs into the respective two grooves, and covering the two grooves to generally prevent movement of the tabs out of the grooves and to form a ready-to-use data storage disk cartridge assembly. The shutter is moveable between a closed position, in which the shutter covers disk-access openings in the housing, and an open position, in which the shutter allows access to the disk through the openings. The method includes leaving the one-piece shutter unbiased toward the closed position, according to one aspect, and includes molding the housing to include a pair of protrusions, the pair of protrusions being disposed to contact opposite edges of the one-piece shutter. The method includes assembling only four separate parts to form the ready-to-use data storage disk cartridge assembly, according to an aspect of the invention.
Other features and aspects according to embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the remainder of this disclosure.